The Erroneous Eggs Chapter 10
The seven special weyrlings were growing skillful in their formation flying. All except Spyroth were perfectly comfortable with their riders on their backs, and were sometimes able to feel problems in the riding straps before their rider noticed. Going between was becoming routine for them (with Canth doing all the work, of course). All except Temerairth had taken their first shots at simulated Threadfall, burning up silvery ribbons dropped from the sky by other dragons. Temerairth and Spyroth were working on their aerial teamwork, and it appeared to be a workable idea.
Meanwhile, time was passing for the rest of the Weyr as well. The "normal" weyrlings and their dragons had taken their first few flights and were champing at the bit for more practice. The dragons' growth had leveled off after about nine months; the bronzes, browns, blues, and greens had just about reached their adult size. But while they were practicing banked turns and recovering from spins, "the seven" were flying between and taking fire-shot practice. The differences between the unusual dragons and the others were growing more pronounced by the day.
"I am very glad," F'nor said to Lessa one day, "that we pulled those seven out of the class when we did. They would be hopeless misfits by now, and very frustrated that they were being held back to the level of normal dragons when they're capable of so much more."
"Or so much less, if we're talking about flying between," Lessa corrected him. "Your rope trick is a good one, but it's no substitute for a dragon who can go between on his own."
"I know," he admitted. "But they simply can't do it. It's as though they gained some things over normal dragons, like the ability to make their own fire, but they lost something to make up for it, namely, the ability to go between. Their riders wouldn't change anything about them, of course – they're like any other dragon in that regard. But if we're going to let them fight Thread, then either they use the rope trick, or they only fight Thread when it falls near Benden Weyr."
Lessa nodded. "That's a good way to put it. I have one other concern. Is it true that Temerairth is larger than Ramoth now?"
F'nor hesitated, then nodded. "I'm sorry, Lessa. Your Ramoth is not the biggest dragon on Pern anymore. Temerairth's growth rate has slowed, but only slightly. They're betting in the Lower Caverns that he'll clear a hundred feet in length before he's done... and I'm in on that betting. Discreetly, of course."
"A hundred feet?" Lessa was aghast. "That's more than twice Ramoth's size! How will he be able to fly if he gets that big?"
F'nor shrugged. "He's a dragon. If he thinks he can get himself off the ground, then he can."
"That could cause some problems with Weyr leadership," Lessa thought out loud. "The biggest bronze is usually a favorite to catch a queen in a mating flight, other things being equal. How will it work if Temerairth is more than twice as big as the biggest bronze? I've heard good things about L'rance, but he's still a very young man. He's nowhere near ready to become a Wingleader, to say nothing of a Weyrleader. But if his dragon caught Ramoth, then he'd be thrust into that role, ready or not."
"We all know," F'nor grinned, "that no bronze is allowed to chase Ramoth in the air except for Mnementh. I have no intention of challenging that unwritten rule. Benden's leadership is safe from L'rance's big black dragon. And you are safe from L'rance!"
"F'nor..." For a moment, there was fire in her eyes, and he backed off a step. "If anyone except you said a thing like that to me, I'd have Ramoth pick him up and drop him in the refuse heap!" She took a quick breath. "Still, I'm glad to hear that. I'm not tradition-bound like the Oldtimers, but there is a time and a place to do things the old-fashioned way. Do you think Temerairth is even capable of catching a queen? A dragon that big can't be very maneuverable in the air."
"Temerairth is astonishingly maneuverable in the air," F'nor answered her. "He can actually hover in place. He could probably fly backwards if he worked at it. No, he can't turn on a mark like a green can, but he can definitely hold his own against any other large dragon. Yes, I think he can catch a queen." He paused. "Did you bring this up for a reason? Are there any queens who need catching?"
Lessa leaned toward him, as though afraid that someone might overhear her. "Ramoth tells me that her daughter Cardith is getting very, very close to her first mating flight. She could fly any day now. There won't be any leadership roles in play, but catching a queen is always a point of pride for any bronze rider... or, possibly, for a black-dragon rider. You can pass that on to the riders of your larger dragons if they want to try their luck with her."
"Cardith? She's the one who hatched at the same time as my riders," F'nor recalled. "So this will be her first flight. The veteran dragons will be leaving her alone; that's another unwritten rule that I don't want to change. That means that Temerairth stands a very good chance of catching her."
"What about the other big ones in your class?" Lessa asked him. "Don't Smaugth or Puffth have a chance of catching her?"
"Those two are big and impressive," F'nor replied, "but they fly like typical browns. I suppose they could get lucky, but they would need a lot of luck to outfly a bronze, never mind outflying a queen."
"Then what about Falkorth?" she asked. "He's about the size of a brown, and he has more luck than the rest of the Weyr put together."
"Luck is good," F'nor said, "but the ability to turn quickly, and change speed quickly, is also good. Falkorth can't do that. That's the drawback to flying with no wings. Besides, as you well know, the queen isn't always caught by the best dragon, or the biggest, or the fastest. Sometimes she gets caught by the dragon who has the Weyr's favor. L'rance is very well-regarded among our little training wing. I have a feeling that Falkorth's luck would work in Temerairth's favor if it came down to a choice between the two."
"Personally, I'm hoping that bronze Bismuth catches her," Lessa said firmly. "He's from Arwith's first clutch with Cabenth. It would be better for the dragons' bloodline if brother does not catch sister."
"Like Mnementh catching Ramoth?" F'nor teased her.
She sighed in exasperation. "Sometimes I wonder how Brekke puts up with you!"
"She brings out the best in me," he answered, suddenly completely serious.
"I'm willing to believe that," she nodded. "Now, if you don't mind, Ramoth says she has an itch on her neck that she can't scratch. I need to attend to her."
"As you wish, Weyrwoman," F'nor said with a half-mocking bow. He returned to the part of the Bowl where his seven students were waiting for him.
"I have some interesting news for the riders of the large dragons," he began without introduction. "One of the young queen dragons will be rising to mate very soon, probably within a day or two. You should seriously consider whether you want your dragons to rise and chase her."
"I thought only bronzes could catch a queen," Sinder said querulously.
"That used to be true," F'nor nodded, "but your dragons have changed the rules. Temerairth is definitely big enough to outfly and catch a gold dragon. Smaugth and Puffth aren't much smaller than a young bronze; they might get lucky."
"What about Falkorth?" Atrayou demanded. "He always gets lucky!"
F'nor shrugged. "He has luck on his side, but catching a queen is mostly about speed and stamina, with a generous helping of craftiness on the side. I can't forbid you to try it. I'm just warning you against getting your hopes up."
"Suppose we want to try it," L'rance began. "What do we do?"
"The moment you know that the queen is going to rise, you order your dragons to make a quick kill or two, and blood them, not eat them. They'll need a fast burst of energy, but full, heavy bellies will hold them down. Once the queen rises, just stay with your dragon mentally. You can try to talk to him, but he'll be thinking with his hormones, so he may not listen to you. If he succeeds in catching the queen..." He leered at them. "If he succeeds, then you and the gold rider are going to be weyrmates for an hour or so. If he fails, you'll still be feeling his passion, so you'd be wise to pick out a partner for yourself if you don't have one in mind already. That's about all I can tell you. Every mating flight is different, but they all end with the involved dragon riders letting off the tension with somebody."
They all nodded soberly. They had all had experiences with a dragon's mating passion; various greens had risen to mate at least five times this year alone. But this time, they would be personally involved. One by one, they wandered off toward the Lower Caverns in search of possible girlfriends. Only Sinder was left with F'nor.
"There's no way to keep this from happening?" she asked him.
"When a dragon's time has come, she will rise and she will mate," F'nor told her. "It is completely inescapable. Why do you ask? Is there a problem?"
"Not today, there isn't," she said sullenly, and walked away.
"What was that about?" F'nor asked his dragon.
I think she is growing fond of L'rance. She does not like the idea of him in another girl's weyr.
F'nor nodded. "That would definitely explain it. But I've seen no signs of such interest from him. Are you sure?"
I am not perfectly sure, but Spyroth thinks she likes L'rance more than she likes the other riders.
"That's unfortunate." F'nor shook his head. "Most of the other boys like her, or at least they're curious about her. When that queen rises, Sinder will have no problems finding a willing partner. But if you're right, she won't get the partner she wants. That's a shame."
If another dragon catches Cardith, then L'rance will need a partner.
"True, but I have a lot of faith in Temerairth and his ability to outfly an inexperienced queen. If he tries to catch her, then I think he'll do it." He paused. "I've wagered several marks that he'll be the one. If I lose, then L'rance loses and Sinder wins. If I win, then Sinder loses and L'rance wins. This is getting complicated, Canth."
Go flying with me. That always makes things better.
"There's nothing complicated about that kind of thinking!" F'nor burst out. "Let me grab my riding gear, and then we'll make a date with some low-hanging clouds."
o
The next day started normally for most of the dragons. Annia checked on her gold Cardith, and found her feeling slightly out of sorts. Her color was more intense than usual, but not extremely so.
I am very hungry, she told her rider. I will get a meal from among the herdbeasts.
"I don't think that's a good idea, my sweet," Annia said hesitantly. She didn't want her dragon to rise with a full belly. But what if she didn't rise until tomorrow, or the day after?
I really want to eat something. Now!
"No, you can't eat something now!" Annia retorted. "You can blood your kill if you want, but you can't eat anything."
You have never denied me a meal before, the dragon said sullenly.
"I denied you extra food when you were newly hatched and you wanted to overeat," her rider replied. "It's my job to take care of you. That's how I show you that I love you."
Show me that you love me by letting me eat!
"No, no eating today," she repeated.
F'lar landed next to them. "That dragon is going to rise today," he commented. "She's getting more vibrant by the minute." Annia realized he was right; while she and her dragon were arguing, the dragon's color had intensified.
She realized that Lessa was at her other elbow. "I've sent Ramoth and the other queens away," she said softly. "The skies are clear for your Cardith."
"And I've warned off the adult bronzes," F'lar added. "There won't be any veteran dragons chasing your queen, just young dragons from the last two weyrling classes. And they'll have to be young and strong to catch a dragon like that!"
"I'm still not sure about this," Annia said nervously. "In an hour or two, some young bronze rider whom I've never even met..."
Lessa smiled. "I can promise you, you'll feel differently about it when it happens. All you need to focus on is controlling your dragon. Don't let her eat on the ground, and don't let her go between in the air."
A few hundred feet away, a cluster of bronze dragons were blooding their kills, looking up at Cardith every few seconds. As she watched, an enormous black dragon joined them, followed by a big red one and a big green one. Their riders stayed near their dragons, but they, too, kept a close eye on the gold dragon.
I am too hungry to wait while you talk, Cardith decided. I am going to eat something now.
"No, you must not!" Annia retorted. For an answer, Cardith roared at her. Annia was shocked; her dragon had never treated her that way before. Then the gold was in the air, lining up on a herdbeast in the pens, and pouncing on it with unusual ferocity.
Annia fell back on the training she'd gotten from Lessa. It was hard, telling her beloved dragon "no." It was even harder when the dragon resisted with all her will. Annia could feel the dragon's hunger, and it was beginning to go beyond hunger for food. Dragon and rider matched wills as everyone in the Weyr stopped what they were doing and watched. The dragon shrilled, trumpeted and fought her rider with all her strength. Annia fought back with a willpower she'd never known she had. At last, the dragon yielded and blooded her kill. Then she pounced on another one, as hungry as she'd been five minutes ago, and Annia had to fight her all over again.
After two herdbeasts and a wherry, Cardith had had enough. Without a conscious word, she sprang into the air, closely followed by the male dragons. The male riders gathered around Annia, who was unaware of their presence. All she could feel was her dragon's desperate need to fly high and far.
"Stay with her," Lessa urged her quietly.
Cardith was not huge like her mother, Ramoth. She was still noticeably bigger than the bronzes, and her lack of extreme size translated into a nimbleness that would serve her well during this flight. She knew she could outfly any of the males who were feebly trying to chase her. Some followed her every move; she contemptuously led those on a wild chase, secure in the knowledge that they could never overtake her. A few of the others, including that big black one, didn't follow her every move, but tried to guess her intentions and cut her off. She tricked those clever dragons into nearly ramming each other, or misdirected them with head fakes and sudden turns. After an hour, the first bronze dropped out of the flight, exhausted, and she felt like she was just getting warmed up.
Three of her pursuers were trying to get above her. She would not allow that! She gained height effortlessly, staying well above the dragons who foolishly thought they could catch her. She shrilled her defiance at them, then went into a series of neck-snapping turns that would have stretched her rider's straps to the limit, if her rider had been on board. Another bronze dropped out, followed by that big green dragon. That one wasn't a bad-looking beast, but if he couldn't catch her, then he didn't deserve her. None of them deserved her! She would outfly them all this day!
She spent the next two hours proving her superiority over every other dragon in the sky. One after the other, the bronzes gave up and spiraled down to earth like dry leaves, totally spent. Then the red one gave up. Now only three were left: bronze Deliroth, bronze Bismuth, and black Temerairth. She knew what to expect from a bronze; the black one was an unknown quantity. Deliroth was still trying to get above her. Very well; she would let him tire himself out, then evade him until he admitted that he couldn't finish what he started. The black one was prowling just below and in front of her, waiting for her to make a move, and the other bronze was staying right underneath her.
Deliroth had gotten the height advantage that he'd been seeking. She watched him warily, knowing that he was about to pounce on her, but she didn't lose sight of the other two. He was a clever one, this young bronze. He was trying to line up for a hammer-and-anvil move, where she would either have to meet him in the air, or dodge him and meet one of the others below her. She had no intention of meeting any of them, not yet. Then the bronze put a wing over and dived at her.
Was he really making it this easy for her? She let him dive, then sideslipped away from him. As he continued his dive, unable to slow down due to gravity and his own speed, she followed just behind him, taunting his inability to stop in time to catch her. Their path would take them just over and behind the black one. He wouldn't be able to stop in time, either. She would mock them both at once!
...and then, incredibly, the black one did stop in time, hovering in place for a moment, just long enough to get her in front of him instead of behind him. Then he lunged toward her, and...
"Stay with her," Lessa urged Annia again. "Don't let her go between." Annia was oblivious; she was completely fixated on L'rance, black Temerairth's rider. The two of them stumbled away toward the young queen rider's weyr. The other riders scattered, disappointed, each seeking out companionship and consolation after his own preference.
And, at the far end of the lake, Sinder sat alone on a rock and wept. Her only comforters were a small purple dragon and a brown fire lizard who, for the first time ever, landed on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.